Tournament of Hope unites NAN youth
THUNDER BAY — Youth from across Nishnawbe Aski Nation territory have gathered in Thunder Bay for a week-long hockey and broomball tournament that organizers hope doubles as a youth summit putting a focus on mental health.
The event also offers opportunities that can be difficult or impossible to find up north, like a youth career fair, G1 drivers tests, a career fair, and SIN card registration. There have been 670 youth suicides across NAN territory since 1986, organizers said, tragedies Indigenous leaders have linked to intergenerational trauma and a lack of resources, including mental health supports, on reserve.
“We’ve had hockey games that are lopsided, there’s some close hockey games, but once these games are done, all the kids are still smiling. Nobody really cares about the games, to be honest with you,” he laughed. “Everyone’s just here having fun, hanging out with their friends, making new friends, and that’s our goal.”
Brady Leavold helped bring that message, backed by an NHL-prospect background, to the crowd of young athletes on Tuesday. “When he was talking about addiction, his mental health — I think it’s super important, especially for kids on reserve, because there’s not a lot of help for them,” she said. “If they can see somebody like that overcome it and still play the game, love the game … then they’ll say, if he can do it, I can do it too.”
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